Mukilteo Musings

Car Pictures Part 1

I had so much fun trying to take pictures from the highway a month ago when we drove to Montana that I tried to do it again on this trip. Our trip began in Mukilteo. We stopped in Missoula for the graduation and then traveled to Helena for Mother's Day. From Helena, we headed back toward Missoula but took Highway 12 over Lolo Pass into Idaho and down toward Walla Walla to pick up Kaley. We passed through four states--Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Yes, we went to Oregon because Walla Walla is 10 miles from the border and they have this really cool pottery store there.

When we lived in Kansas City for over five years, I would have a recurring dream that I would be driving down a street in Kansas and snow covered mountains would suddenly loom up in front of me. I would be so excited about this discovery and so happy. I would wake up only to realize it was just a dream. Remember the camp song?


I Love the Mountains

I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills,
I love the flowers, I love the daffodils,
I love the fireside when all the lights are dim.

Boom-de-ada, boom-de-ada, ...

My husband and I both felt as the song describes while we were students in Kansas City. Dave's mentor at KU grew up in Iowa and has pursued his career in Kansas to this day. He attempted to get Dave to go anywhere but back to the Northwest by trying to convince him it did not matter where you lived. He had no clue; he was from Iowa. We had to have the mountains back and we had to have wilderness. The lovely state parks in Missouri were beautiful but they were not wild and rocky uninhabited wilderness.

Again, I post some car pictures. Some were taken through the front windshield and some from the side window rolled down.


This is a swampy spot right next to the road (I-90) in Idaho. Every time we pass it, I always say, "there should be a moose here; it looks like a perfect place for a moose," but never have we seen a moose in this area for 28 years.


Again, this is along I-90 between Helena and Missoula. All over the western part of Montana are interesting ancient rock cliffs and formations from volcanoes, inland seas, earthquakes and erosion.


These are the mountains near Deer Lodge as seen off of Highway 12 between Garrison and Helena. Mt. Powell is included (to the left in clouds). I was born here at the base of the mountains but on the other side in Deer Lodge; so was my Dad. My grandparents had a view of Mt. Powell and the surrounding mountains. My Grandpa and my Dad knew all of this back country by heart. Obviously, my brain was imprinted with this view from the moment I was born so it is no surprise that the mountains looming in my Kansas dreams looked remarkably similar.